Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 February 2022
662. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Health the reason that it took an ambulance more than 70 minutes to respond to an accident (details supplied) in County Clare; his plans to limit any other similar delay occurring; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9043/22]
View answerRegarding the specific incident enclosed with the Deputy's question, as this is an operational matter for the National Ambulance Service (NAS), I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to him directly, as soon as possible.
More generally, I can confirm to the Deputy that the Government is committed to investing and building capacity resilience into the NAS. Last year €10 million of funding for new service developments provided for 125 additional whole time equivalents to provide for both increased frontline ambulance staffing and equipment capacity and for enhanced NAS community initiatives designed to reduce acute hospital attendances and improve patient experiences. This year out of an unprecedented total allocation of €200 million, a further €8.2 million is being invested in new developments which will help to build more capacity into the service.
Finally, the Deputy may wish to be aware that a new five-year NAS Strategic Plan is currently being finalised by the HSE. This plan, elements of which have been funded in Budget 2022, will be supported by the findings and recommendations of a National Demand and Capacity Analysis, which has been commissioned by the NAS to inform future capacity requirements and workforce planning to 2027. Work on the Analysis is currently ongoing.
